About

$1,585

pledged of $750 goal

55

backers

So - This project is to produce a set of 24 trading cards of historical people from the Greater Olympia area. Basically, I wanted to know who Percival was, and what did Edmund Sylvester do that was so great we named a park after him? Naturally, I decided the most efficacious way to do this was to create a massive multi-part project. Y'know, I could just as easily say that your way of doing things is totally insane and then who would the crazy one here be? Huh? Wait, where was I?

Rewards - The straightforward part is that by helping finance this project you can get a set of these cards for your own educational and historical purposes. The cards themselves will be standard trading card size, packaged in some sort of protective case. If you would like multiple sets, add on another $5 per set to any reward level of $10 or above, $6 more if you're having them mailed.

This is a sample and will very likely not be the finished card, assuming Samuel Thurston is included at all. We just had to put something together as a proof of concept.

Beyond the cards, we have uncut sheets of cards, prints of artwork, custom portraits, plus I'm sure we'll produce some other random odds and ends, postcards, 4x6 prints, etc, that will pop up in all the reward levels.

The Creation - As a backer, you'll get to be part of the creation process for these cards, recommending and nominating persons of interest from history and somewhat helping to shape the project. There is a website setup at olympia.neverknows.com and we'll occasionally send out emails and ask questions during the course of production. Bits and pieces of the work will appear as it's completed. That's right, as a backer, YOU get to help write the only history that will ever matter! Or something.

The People - So who in history should be here? By being a backer, you get to make recommendations to this list and help influence the decisions about the content of the cards. We don't want it to just be the normal Dead White Guys who make up so much of history, but to delve deeper we'll need your help. Should there be a cutoff time where we only use people who lived before X year, or should we include important people right up to the present? These are the decisions that you as a backer will get a say in.

The Money - The funds pretty much entirely go to fund the printing, packaging, and production costs with the aim of making the sets available for sale somewhere in town when all is said and done. Or, alternately, all stored in a huge box in my basement and/or attic.

Release Party - At the end of the Kickstarter and once everything is happily produced, we'll have a release party somewhere in town for people to pick up their rewards, complete with some hilariously educational presentation aspect and all of the original artwork available in a silent auction.

The original pieces will be done on 9"x12" bristol board using India ink and inkwash. Sammy here was chosen as our sample because, even though he never lived here, the county was named after him and he was also completely insane and looked the part.

Timeline - Our goal is to have these done by the holidays, to make awesome gifts for people who love history (really, if they don't love history, you shouldn't get them anything anyways). Reality, of course, may intervene, but we'll all do what we can.

REACH GOAL! - If we reach $1500 I've decided to double the amount of cards we produce, pushing the total up closer to 50. There are just too many fascinating people to not do cards for if we have the chance!

Risks and challenges

Completion - The first risk is actually getting these cards completed. The mark in our favor is that not only do I have a great track record of completing projects, but I've actually completed a trading card series before. The second risk is simply getting them done in time to be the most amazing stocking stuffers ever. I'm optimistic I can finish the art, but the research and writing of the card backs may get a little more squirrely. There are a number of variables that may lead to a delay past the end of this year, but we'll try to remain optimistic and, either way, the project will certainly be done at some point before, say, 2015.

Distribution - Getting things out to backers is easy, finding a means to sell these in a retail setting here in town will be another shade of tricky. My basic plan is to hope that some kind store owner will come across this and inquire about selling them in their store. Seriously, if you're a store selling cool kitschy type things in Olympia, you should give me a call.

Support

Select this reward

Pledge $1 or more
About $1.00

Our special thanks in making this project possible, plus a login to our creation website where you can make recommendations on what people would make good trading cards, and generally influence the process going forward.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $10 or more
About $10

One set of PoGOH trading cards. Plus also some other grab bag stuff. Seriously, I tend to produce lots of little things like postcards and stickers just as a matter of course, so you'll get stuffs for sure.
TO BE PICKED UP AT THE RELEASE PARTY.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

Your own portrait! Or, y'know, someone else's. At any rate, at this level, we will do you up a portrait in the same manner and style as the original art on the cards. This means 9"x12" bristol with India ink and ink wash. Also, of course, a complete set of the cards, an uncut sheet of the cards, the 8"x10", and etc.